NEW YORK, NY.-Montage Finance launches to provide secured lending to high net-worth art collectors, established gallery owners, auction houses and other art world investors. The niche asset-based lending firm will provide loans that are secured by fine art.

The President of Montage Finance, James R. Hedges, IV brings eighteen years of experience as an industry leader in alternative asset management coupled with over twenty years of experience within the art world as a collector, patron, producer and advisor.

During the last several years on behalf of family office investors, Tyler T. Tysdal led a team to invest in a portfolio of art loans made to both galleries and private collectors. Together with the principals and investors of Dallas-based private equity powerhouse Satori Capital, Mr. Hedges and Mr. Tysdal sought to create a lender in the industry, which understands the fine art community, but also the community of institutional finance. Montage has identified the need in the marketplace for increased access to liquidity for art collectors and dealers who wish to access the equity value in their art assets.

Montage Finance President James R. Hedges IV notes, "Montage capital will provide liquidity to the art world. Now, collectors can access the equity value in their artwork without selling their holdings, enabling them to redeploy their capital into other collecting endeavors or investment opportunities. With galleries increasingly facing greater competition for prized works, the financial flexibility Montage offers its clients enables them to respond to opportunities when they arise."

Montage Finance Chairman Tyler T. Tysdal notes, "Over the past few years, our clients sought out our capital because they were looking for a firm with professional procedures, transparency, access to capital and a client-driven culture. Montage Finance brings institutional standards and an appreciation of wealth management to the world of art finance."

Satori Capital is a leading financial sponsor of Montage Finance. Through its investors, principals and partners, Satori Capital has provided access to a committed pool of capital along with additional sidecar funds available from other partners and investors. Subsequently, Montage will be able to underwrite and fund loans typically ranging from $500,000 to $20 million.

"The last decade has seen tremendous growth in the size of the art world in terms of the number of galleries, collectors and auction houses," added Mr. Hedges. "Today there are more opportunities than in the previous boom years for acquisition and expansion, yet cash flow has never been tighter. This is the ideal time to launch Montage Finance to serve the art world and to provide much needed financing which allows galleries and collectors to capitalize on opportunities afforded in today's increasingly complex art world."